What things will you never again take for granted when this is all over?

[QuimJongUn]

Momentous or mundane.

Me:

Saturday afternoon pint after a bit of shopping

Going to the seaside

Being able to buy what you need

Waking up every morning without a knot of worry and fear in my chest

Making plans, travel (even just a bus ride to the next town), live music

The bustle of the city centre

The people I love. I think we all are guilty of doing this when day to day life gets in the way, however much we don't mean to

Human contact - I've noticed people everywhere striking up conversation (at a safe distance!) in a way they didn't before. I'm hoping this doesn't end when the CV outbreak does because it's lovely and I feel more 'connected' to the people in my community than ever, ironically. Of course that'll change if/when there's a total lockdown

I always thought I was the sort of person who took nothing for granted in the first place. All this has made me realise how much I actually did.

Not looking at everyone with suspicion. I saw people merrily dry-coughing on both (essential) bus journeys this week, they should definitely have been in SI.

And then due to social anxiety I have been nervous about anyone I meet in quiet places - got some fresh air in the park by our house the other day, on my own, and ended up changing my route because of other people because I was so aware I had nobody else around and they could do anything (I know that’s completely my own paranoia BTW, I just mean it wouldn’t be so bad if there were more people around)

Watching children playing. I work in a school and love watching kids play. But I also moaned about playground duty.
Feel desperately sad that tomorrow our children will be playing like that with their friends for the last time in a long while. I won’t moan about playground duty again.

popping to the shops on the way home from work and just being able to get whatever I need.
watching my kids get ready for their leavers prom
the nerves/excitement og GCSE and A level results day
listeneing to my dc chat about the latest gossip from their friendship groups at school
being able to visist my parents whenever I wanted without worrying about infecting them (both v elderly, dad with a lung condition)

Parkrun. Who knows when it'll be back on :(

Hugging my parents.

Feel desperately sad that tomorrow our children will be playing like that with their friends for the last time in a long while

Oh that's such a sad thought

So many 'last times in a long while' at the moment. Yesterday I had to go to town briefly for essential shopping/to pick up a prescription and it struck me on the way home that the next time I did that, it would be summer.

When DH left work yesterday he did so knowing it'd be a long time before he went back to the office (he'll be wfh for the foreseeable). He said there was a very strange, sombre atmosphere when he said goodbye to his colleagues, who he loves.

So there's another thing some of us took for granted - even if you love your job and coworkers as DH does, that morning alarm/commute was annoying and a bit shit. Except it wasn't really.

Routines. I took my routines for granted.

I saw people merrily dry-coughing on both (essential) bus journeys this week, they should definitely have been in SI.

You don't know that - they may have had that cough for months due to a lung condition. It's only people who have a new continuous cough who need to SI.

I won't take play-dates for granted any more - we've got an only child (not by choice - infertility), I feel desperately sad for him being alone

Sorry yes that is a fair point havelock - I guess I’m much more aware of/paranoid about any coughs at all now. Two of the coughing people were a couple, so I thought it less likely as they may both have caught a (if not “the”) virus. But it is of course still possible, you’re right.

Coughing! I cleared my throat in a shop the other day and it was like time stood still, with everyone doing their best to avoid me. I only did the little hem-hem noise.

My in-laws. Both high risk and have taken the bullet to self isolate which means they won’t see the kids for the foreseeable.

My job. It’s flexible and WFH is welcomed, even with children at home. They have the ethos of work around your life, not life around your work.

Playing outside with DD. She is only 9 months and has already took to banging on the french doors to get outside but I’m sure she’s picking up on my cabin fever.

Havelock DH is recovering from a chest infection (not CV related) that he's had since Christmas more or less. He's had antibiotics but when he gets them he gets them badly and they hang around for ages. He's not coughing anywhere as much as he was but he's said that when he's been out he's been so conscious of the looks he gets when a cough slips out, even though he takes care to cough into his elbow and sanitises his hands regularly.

Having small worries
Going for a wander about the shops
Going down to the corner shop with toddler DS as he loves it
Sending DD to school

I have a lingering cough as I have asthma and every time I get a cold I get a cough lasting weeks after so I've been very anxious about coughing when in public. But I've put myself into quarantine now for the foreseeable future so at least that's one less thing to worry about.

Simplicity.

Human contact.

Peace of mind.

Being able to buy anything I want from the shops.

The freedom to go anywhere and not worry about how many people are around.

Three weeks ago, I stupidly whined to my spouse that he had booked so many events for his business that I'd hardly see him and that he should find the time to spend with us. In five days, every single booking he had has been cancelled and now we have absolutely no bookings for the foreseeable future. I got exactly what I asked for but it also means, no more income for the foreseeable future. I will NEVER ever again complain about him having too much work.

Having small worries

Oh, so much this. Things I've been making mountains out of molehills about include: My wonky teeth, our living room needing to be decorated, having to organise the family Easter activities/meals/shopping pretty much by myself... I cannot WAIT to have fuck all to worry about again.

@elp30 oh, the 'be careful what you wish for' thing.

For ages DH has been bemoaning his commute, wishing he could occasionally wfh, and also saying he'd really love a new laptop. Well, guess what? Now he'll be wfh for months, no commute, AND work gave him a fancypants computer (required because all his work systems are on it) BUT it can only be used for work stuff.

He'd much rather have no need for the computer and to keep the commute rather than this alternative reality!

Going to work